Description:Wills and their accompanying inventories of goods and chattels, are an excellent source of information for family, social and economic history. A will can provide all kinds of useful information about family relationships and the social and economic status of the testator, that is the person making the will. In addition before 1750, an itemised inventory of the goods of the deceased was drawn up by between two and five unbiased persons called appraisors, overseers or supervisors. The inventory includes all the moveable goods, including there appropriate household goods, clothing, stock-in-trade, farm stock, growing and cut corn, loose money and any rent and debts due but it does not include land.
“In the name of god Amen the fift Day of July 1728 I Franses hichcock of the Spratslade beeing in perfect memory prased bee god but sick in body Doe make this my Last Will & Testament as Followeth
Imprimis I commit my sole into the hands of that god that gave it hoping Thorrow the merrits of Christ to receave pardon & Remissyon of My sins And my body to be bewryed att Trentham in such Desant Manner as my Exsecewter or exsecewtrix Shall Think Fit And as For my Worldly esstate I give & bequeath as Followeth I Give to my Deare Wife all My esstate house Cottage And mony goods & persynall esstate of Whatt Nature so ever Too her & her Ares For ever paying to Elisabeth Hitchcock My Doughter Twenty pownds When Shee attaines the Age of Twenty one yers I Constytute & Appoynt My Deare Wife Sole Exsecewtrixt of this my Last Will not Dowting of the Due performance of the same ......”
Lichfild Record Office, B/C/11
Francis Hitchcock 7 November 1728